solve

Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

transitive v. To find a solution to.

transitive v. To work out a correct solution to (a problem).

intransitive v. To solve an equation: Insert the values of the constants and solve for x.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

v. To find an answer or solution to a problem or question; to work out.

v. To find the values of variables that satisfy a system of equations and/or inequalities.

v. To algebraically manipulate an equation or inequality into a form that isolates a chosen variable on one side, so that the other side consists of an expression that may be used to generate solutions.

n. A solution; an explanation.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English

n. A solution; an explanation.

transitive v. To explain; to resolve; to unfold; to clear up (what is obscure or difficult to be understood); to work out to a result or conclusion.

from The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

To loosen; disentangle; unravel; hence, to explain or clear up the difficulties in; resolve; explain; make clear; remove perplexity from: as, to solve a difficulty, a puzzle, or a problem.

To determine; put an end to; settle.

To determine or work out by rule; operate on by calculation or mathematical processes, so as to bring out the required result: as, to solve a problem in mathematics.

v. find the solution to (a problem or question) or understand the meaning of

Etymologies

Middle English solven, to loosen, from Latin solvere.

(American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)

From Latin solvo. (Wiktionary)

Examples

Too often the result of such instruction is students who can add when told to add, or solve quadratic equations when told to �solve the following quadratic equations,� but cannot decide when to use these techniques in solving problems.

In North American sports reporting, to score against for the first time in a game:

"Taylor Pyatt finally solved Detroit netminder Chris Osgood at 2:27 of the second, pouncing on a loose puck after he and Kyle Wellwood forced little Wing Jiri Hudler into a turnover in his own slot area."